Malice
by Discordence
Summary: Emperor Mavro had a plan that he knew would take the Rangers out once and for all. What he didn't know was that the plan would put him at the corner of good and evil.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** If Orion and Emperor Mavro were in the character list, they'd be the last two people.

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers.

**Chapter 1**

"You're kidding." Vrak commented, rubbing his chin. "This plan…is awfully stupid."

"Shut your mouth, Vrak." The voice came from Emperor Mavro, a villain the Rangers hadn't met yet. "This plan will work, you will see."

"Father, turning a human into a child is pointless. I think you've had too much Portox Juice."

"Vrak, I don't want any human child. I want _the_ human child, the Red Ranger!"

"The Red—you're insane." Vrak shook his head. "What could you have to gain by changing the Red Ranger into a child? Sure, the Rangers will be vulnerable, but that's all you've got.

"You're an idiot." Vrak rolled his eyes. "I want the Red Ranger because he will be my new heir to the throne."

"_What?! _Since Vekar is gone, I should be next in line for the throne!"

"You _were_, but that was until I came up with this plan. Trust me, my son, this will work."

"If you're so sure, remind me of your glorious plan."

Mavro glared at Vrak. "The plan is to capture the Red Ranger by sending a platoon of X-Borgs, led by Commander Capiturar. Once he captures him, you and Levira will transform him into what he looked like when he was age five. Then, I'll raise him as my own, with you acting like a brother/uncle."

"I still think you've had too much Portox Juice."

"Get out of my sight! You don't appreciate how marvelous this plan is!" Vrak shrugged and exited, pulling Levira aside from the throne room's entrance door.

"What's wrong, Prince Vrak?" She asked.

"Do you think Father's plan is elaborate? I believe it to be a stupid idea."

"Personally, I thought he was caught up on Portox Juice. That drink has unnatural side-effects."

"Exactly! What really bugs me is that he chose the Red Ranger out of all the humans on Earth."

"Now hold on, Vrak. That's actually a smart move on the Emperor's part. The Red Ranger is the trump card for the entire team. We get rid of him, they all fall in unison."

Vrak nodded a bit. "You have a point, Levira. The Red Ranger keeps the team together, and without him, we can rule the Earth unopposed."

Levira placed a hand on his shoulder in affection. Vrak brushed her hand off of him. "Don't touch me." She bowed in apology. "Speaking of touch, do you know where I could find Damaras? It's time to capture us a Ranger."

_Malice_

The unmorphed Rangers headed for the quarry, stopping at the sight of thousands of X-Borgs and their commander. They appeared to be searching around the quarry for something.

"Hey, tin cans! Over here!" Gia called, and the villains turned to look at them.

"Ah, there you are, Power Rangers! I've been looking for you!" The commander announced.

"Yeah, well you're not doing a very good job, then!" Jake taunted.

"My dealing isn't with you, human. It's with him!" The monster pointed at Troy, who stood firm and ready to fight.

The others moved in front of him. "If you want Troy, you'll have to go through us first!" Noah challenged.

"No problem!" The monster commented.

"_Go Go Megaforce!_" Troy, Noah, Gia, Jake, and Emma called, morphing into their Megaforce spandex.

"_Super Mega Mode!_" Orion called and morphed into Super Megaforce Silver. The monster and X-Borgs charged at the Rangers, Troy being singled out by the commander.

"You'll never get me. I will defeat you!" Troy vowed as he slashed at the monster with his Dragon Sword.

"I doubt it. Capiturar always gets his prize." The commander hissed as he struck Troy in the chest, the Red Ranger falling to the ground in pain. The other Rangers saw their leader's predicament.

Emma blasted down an X-Borg with her Phoenix Shot. "Troy, I'm coming!"

Jake kicked down another X-Borg. "Right behind you!" He ran off, Gia following him after she took down a few X-Borgs.

Noah and Orion destroyed a cluster with a blue/silver combo strike. "We're on our way!" Orion called. They regrouped with Troy, helping him up off the ground.

"Thanks, guys. Now let's finish him!" He shouted as they got into position.

"_Super Mega Mode!_" The five called in unison, morphing into their Super Megaforce suits.

"_Super Megaforce…Red!_" Troy shouted.

"_Super Megaforce…Blue!_" Noah shouted.

_"__Super Megaforce…Green!_" Jake shouted.

"_Super Megaforce…Yellow!_" Gia shouted.

"_Super Megaforce…Pink!_" Emma shouted.

"_Super Megaforce…Gold!_" Orion shouted as he inserted the gold Sixth Ranger Key into the bottom of his morpher. The Rangers and Capiturar converged on one another.

Orion noticed Capiturar heading towards a downed Troy. "You're not touching him!" He cried as he slashed the commander away from his leader. He pulled Troy up.

"Thanks, Orion." The monster got up as Troy spoke. The two glanced over to see the others bothered with X-Borgs. They were on their own.

"Grr…Capiturar always gets his prize! Hrraah!" The monster shot two powerful beams at the Red and Gold Rangers, both flying off into two large rocks, demoprhing upon contact. Troy's Megaforce morpher, Super Megaforce morpher, and Red Ranger Key fell out of his jacket, tumbling out of grabbing distance.

"You won't need these!" Capiturar laughed as his foot crushed the morphers and key. Troy could only look at the destroyed machinery in shock, and Orion, getting up, looked at Troy in fear.

"Up we go!" The commander hoisted Troy over his shoulder, the boy not fighting back due to his brutal injuries. Orion took that as his cue to charge at Capiturar head-on.

"NO!" Orion cried as the two disappeared. The Silver Ranger tripped over a rock, and he skidded to the wreckage of Troy's gear. He picked up the Ranger Key's cracked head.

"Troy…I-I'm sorry…" Orion began to sniff back tears as he gathered the broken metal and plastic. He turned his silver jacket into a bag.

The other Rangers finished off the remaining X-Borgs, demorphed, and ran to Orion.

"What's wrong, Orion?" Emma asked, putting a comforting hand on his arm. The  
>Ranger shook it off and turned his back to them, his face red with tears.<p>

"Hey, where's Troy?" Noah asked, and the team heard suppressed cries from Orion.

They moved closer. "Orion, where is he?" Gia asked. He turned around.

"The m-monster…h-he attacked us and s-singled out T-Troy…and h-he was c-captured, b-but not b-before…" Orion opened his jacket to reveal the pile of broken metal and plastic.

Noah took the jacket out of his hands. "The monster did this?" Orion nodded.

Jake ran his hand down his face and sighed. "It's okay. Let's just get this to the Command Center. I'm sure Gosei can fix this."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Author's Note: ...This is rated M for a reason, and be thankful I wasn't very descriptive about it. You'll see what I mean. **

**_Note:_**** When words are in bold, it signals a setting change within a scene, but the** _Malice_ **signals a scene change. **

The scenery around him was hazy, and Troy could make out a white light and navy walls. In front of him was a blurry glass door; he was in a scientific pod of some sort! Troy began to push on the walls. "Hey, let me go!"

The aliens on the other side made out his muffled cry. "Sorry, Red Ranger. Our emperor needs you for something important." Troy heard a female's voice. She spoke an incoherent name followed by, "Begin the transformation."

Strobe lights and smoke filled the pod, and last thing Troy heard was the sound of his own scream.

**Later**, Levira had Vrak open the door while she went to get Mavro. After letting a bit of smoke dissipate, he could see that the Red Ranger was…not wearing _any_ clothes.

"Oh, disgusting!" Vrak looked away. "I never thought a nude human would look that horrifying." As he left, Levira came back. The smoke had completely dissipated, and a naked boy was standing up in the pod.

Levira screamed. "Oh, oh, that's horrifying! Ugh, humans are truly gruesome. Get it away from me!" She cowered, shielding her eyes on occasion.

Troy saw Levira's face of fear, and once he stepped into the light, Levira screamed even louder, the boy screaming and running out of the laboratory. Vrak rushed into the door Troy exited from, apparently not seeing the boy. A red blanket was in his hand.

"Is everything alright? I heard a…oh, it's just Levira being Levira with her drama. Typical."

"At least I would give some sort of cover to someone with a nude being." She scoffed as she ripped the red blanket from Vrak's grip. They pursued Troy, not wanting a scared, naked five-year-old human scurrying around an alien spaceship.

**As** they were looking for Troy, Mavro was relaxing in his quarters as he heard a scream getting louder, but it sounded like a human child. He got up and saw a small shadow rushing towards him. Catching him, Mavro walked into his bedroom and sat the shadow down. It was the Red Ranger, but…naked. Interesting.

Troy was crying, and Mavro put a finger to the child's lips, wiping away his tears. Levira and Vrak entered the room right when Troy spoke his first words: "Are you my daddy?"

_Malice_

The remaining Rangers sat in the Command Center, waiting for Noah and Tensou to finish rebuilding Troy's morphers and Ranger Key. While the atmosphere was exasperation, Orion harbored an aura of regret. He couldn't stop the Armada from getting their hands on Troy, and with so much strength at their disposal, it's only a matter of time before the Rangers lose. To clear his head, Orion left the center and walked along the beach. He could only imagine the torture and pain Troy must be going through. He _is _the leader, and if the leader falls, so does the team.

"I'm so sorry, Troy," He mumbled. "If there was any way I could switch with you, I would." He felt butterflies in his stomach at the mention of sacrifice for Troy. Ever since Orion met the Super Megaforce Rangers, he was particularly attracted to Troy. Whenever he was around the team's leader, he felt nervous. No, it couldn't be a crush, it just couldn't. He was never allowed to pick a mate back on Andresia, but now…

"Orion!" He heard Jake's voice. "Noah and Tensou finished the repairs. You can come back!"

"No." Orion simply replied.

"No?! Orion, c'mon!"

"No, Jake! I can't, not after what happened to Troy…"

"Troy's strong, dude. It'll take a lot more to take him down for good. Should I remind you that he survived a brutal ship crash?"

"No, I understand, but it's like he said, 'The Armada's full of surprises.'"

"Okay, you need to stop worrying. Besides, it's not like you have extra feelings for him, right?"

Orion blushed. "Yeah…I…"

Jake wrapped an arm around him. "Right. Now c'mon, Gosei needs us _all_."

"You said the morphers and Ranger Key were fixed."

"Yeah, but Gosei needs us too." Jake concluded, pulling Orion with him.

**Back** in the Command Center, the Rangers stood next to one another. Troy's Ranger gear was resting on the red panel, which Tensou was zooming around in distress.

"Can you find him, Gosei?" Jake asked.

"Don't you remember, Jake? The Armada cut off all forms of communications, and with that we can't track morphers." Gosei answered.

"Yeah, but Troy's morpher is here." Emma chimed in.

"I understand, but you all have distinct auras that match with your morphers. If you happen to not have your morphers, I can track you with your auras." Gosei replied. "After tracking Troy's aura, all I can tell you is that he is alive, but not on Earth."

"That's…how were you able to track him? You said tracking and communication was cut off!" Gia stated.

"I said tracking _morphers_ and communication were cut off. Since auras are not visible, they can be tracked. Though, Troy's feels different…it feels more spirited and child-like…"

"That's not reassuring." Noah began. "It's great to know that Troy's okay, but hearing that he's not on Earth and that aura is more loose, or in other words abnormal, could be dangerous for us and him."

"That's true," Orion added. "I was caught on the 'spirited and child-like aura' part. Do you guys think…Troy's been turned into a child?"

"What?" Emma asked.

"Seriously, dude?" Jake asked, sighing in disappointment.

"Uh…" Gia stuttered, a bit confused.

"I see where you're coming from, Orion. Troy's aura is usually reserved and mature, but hearing he now has a loose and young aura, your thought about him becoming a child is probably the answer to this mystery." Noah agreed with him. Well, one person is better than no one at all.

"If this is the case," Gosei began. "Then we have a tough road ahead of us."

"Yeah," Orion sighed. "We can stop the Armada, but Troy..." He only wished he had enough composure to finish as he sat down, proceeding to cry.

**A/N: No, Troy did not have clothes on before the transformation. Like I said, this is rated M for a reason. I do apologize to those squeamish with nudity in stories. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 **

"Are you my daddy?" The words echoed in Mavro's ears as he wrapped Troy's body in the red blanket. He cradled the boy in his arms, their eyes locking together. It was mystifying.

"…Yes, dear boy, I am your father. My name is Mavro." The emperor stated.

"Ma…Maro…" Troy tried to say 'Mavro', but the emperor shushed him, chuckling to himself.

"Just call me… 'Daddy'. What is your name?"

"My name is Troy!" The boy beamed. "I'm five!" His high-pitched voice charmed Mavro in a way he hasn't experienced ever since Vrak and Vekar were around Troy's age. The emperor shouldered Levira and Vrak aside, walking around the royal ship to show Troy his new home.

"That was…interesting." Levira commented. "I didn't expect Mavro to be so calm at the sight of a naked human."

"Can we get off of that topic? It's getting old." Vrak complained as he turned to follow his father. "I'm still amazed he gave his heart to…"

"Troy?" Levira finished. "That must be the Red Ranger's civilian identity. I'm surprised he actually remembered his name."

"That doesn't matter. Sew clothes for the child. I'll go talk to my father about…_them_…" Vrak proceeded to walk down the hall Mavro traveled down earlier.

**Mavro **slid open the door, light pouring into the dark room. Turning on the lights, gym equipment was strewn about in a mess. The sight angered the emperor.

"Those blasted X-Borgs…" He then remembered the child in his arms, and the boy looked up at Mavro with curious green eyes.

"This is the gym, Troy." The emperor whispered in the boy's ear.

"Do I get to pway here, Daddy?" Mavro chuckled and kissed his son on the forehead. Troy's adorability was completely enveloping the villain, and he let it. The last time he let his emotions takeover was when Vekar and Vrak were infants.

"Yes, sweet child, you get to play here. Though, I want to show you a picture…" Mavro strolled over to a picture of the Rangers, two long red marks crossing over one another. "See these people?"

"Yeah, but why is there a big X over them?"

"These people want to hurt Daddy. They want Daddy gone so they can take you away." Troy clung to Mavro's chest, the red blanket covering his knuckles. The boy began to cry again, the emperor letting his hand travel down Troy's back as the child bawled. Pulling the boy from his chest, Mavro stared into his misty red eyes.

"Troy, repeat after me. 'Rangers bad'." Mavro pronounced.

"R-Rwangers…b-bad…Rwangers bad." Troy repeated, Mavro gently hugging him and planting another kiss on his forehead. Troy sniffed a few tears back and giggled.

"Father!" That voice belonged to Vrak. "Did you tell the child about…?"

Mavro turned around. "The Rangers? Yes, I warned him. While those Rangers never know when to quit, they're not clueless, or stupid for that matter." The emperor walked closer to Vrak and leaned over his ear. "We must protect Troy from the Rangers, but we must train him as one of our own."

"Understood." Inside, Vrak felt jealousy that the younger form of the Red Ranger was receiving more love and attention that he ever got. The alien smirked, a plan in his crafty brain.

"Why don't you show…Troy…to his quarters for the night? He seems tired." Mavro looked down and discovered the boy curled in his blanket, asleep. Vrak placed a hand onto Troy's coif.

"Let's get him to your bed in your room as an alternative resting place, shall we?"

"Very well, Vrak. You've persuaded me, but you better no pull any tricks while we're resting!"

"You're turning in? Levira made the boy such nice clothing…"

"Tell her to lay it on my desk chair in my room as quietly as she can."

"What about tomorrow for the child?" Vrak asked with false curiosity. Mavro raised a dark eyebrow.

"I'll introduce him to you fools. I've got nothing better for him to do…"

"It'll be awhile before we send other commanders down, won't it?"

"Yes. We'll send Capiturar as the main commander until his defeat, which will be highly unlikely. Meanwhile, Troy will begin his training tomorrow, after he's met everyone on the ship."

"Excellent to know." Vrak turned around and traveled to his lab, but stopped and glanced at his father and 'brother' heading to the emperor's room. "It'll be a treat to have a spirit like his on our ship." The villain pressed his palm, a small beep screeching from his hand.

**Inside **Mavro's bedroom, the two were laid in the emperor's large canopy bed, the stars of space emitting shreds of light into the enormous window. He turned over to look at Troy when he noticed a visible stream of dark purple and black leave Troy's body and slide under the shut door.

"What the…Vrak!" Mavro shout-whispered as he followed the stream to his eldest son's laboratory. His red eye peeking into the crack of the door, he saw Vrak encompassed by the dark violet stream. Assuming it was another one of Vrak's useless studies, Mavro returned to bed.

"Everything is working perfectly." Vrak chuckled as he turned away from the door. "That gullible old man didn't suspect a thing. It's time for my claim as Emperor Vrak, and that doesn't include my father or that pathetic runt. Watch out my enemies, for you end is near! Muhahahaha!" He boasted evilly as the room was shrouded in smoke.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Mornings were always rough for Mavro; he had to use Earth time, and the time of dawn was not pleasant. The emperor sat up and stretched, yawning loudly. He looked over at Troy, who was still asleep. Mavro softly kissed Troy on his forehead as he found the small red shirt and dark jeans laid over his desk chair. Being as stealthy as he could, Mavro dressed Troy, and upon observation, he looked like a younger version of his teenage self.

"Good morning, Troy." Mavro loomed over the boy's small ear and whispered. "I'll be in the main room if you need me, my sweet child." He planted one last soft kiss on the boy's cheek as he exited the large bedroom.

_Malice_

"Time to take these X-Borgs down for good!" Noah shouted as he slashed down an X-Borg.

"Couldn't agree more, Noah! Gia, trade me!" Emma called to the Yellow Ranger as she tossed her saber away for Gia's blaster.

"Jake, behind me!" Gia screamed to the Green Ranger, and he did as she said. They paired up for a Yellow-Green combo strike. The X-Borgs all fell to the ground, exploding behind them. They soon ran to Orion, who was taking on Capiturar.

"What have you done with Troy?!" He cried as he slashed the commander with his spear.

"Nosy, are we not?" Capiturar slashed back at Orion, who then morphed into Super Megaforce Gold. "I might as well spare you the fact." Orion felt an immense pressure on his chest and looked up to see Captiurar's foot stomping on his chest armor.

"Your little friend will become the new heir to the Armada, being raised as a five-year-old under our beloved emperor. He'll become something that'll make you wish you were never a Ranger, nevertheless born." The alien hissed into Orion's helmet. Seeing that the Silver Ranger was unable to do any kind of comeback, he threw Orion across the field before firing a deadly laser beam at his chest, demorphing Orion and knocking him out. The other Rangers rushed to his side.

"Orion, wake up!" Emma cried, shaking him.

"C'mon, dude, don't leave us!" Jake added, tapping Orion's head with two fingers. Nothing worked to wake him up.

"Well, well," Capiturar commented as he saw the Rangers. "Looks like my secret will die with him. Good!"

"What secret?" Gia asked in suspicion as she raised her saber, Noah next to her with his blaster ready.

"I would tell you, Yellow, but that wouldn't make it a secret now would it?" The commander laughed as a blue light swirled around him. Gia and Noah charged at him.

"Adios, Rangers! Good luck on trying to wake your friend up!" Capiturar chuckled as he teleported away, Gia and Noah nearly falling to the ground.

"Argh, he got away!" Noah grunted as he demorphed.

"Great, Troy's probably dead and Orion's injured with possibly no way to wake up!" Gia sighed in frustration, throwing her hands up as she too demorphed.

Emma's eyes filled with tears as she looked at Orion, Jake placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "…What do we do now?"

_Malice_

Troy scanned the room with tired eyes, and there was no one but him, so he assumed he slept incredibly late. The boy then looked down to see he was dressed in a red shirt and blue jeans. They fit and were a bit snug around him, if he were to be honest. The clothes did have a very familiar feel, but he didn't want to bother his father with questions he couldn't answer. Troy slowly crawled out of the bed, his bare feet touching the cold, black floor. He winced a bit before walking to the door and pushing it open with all of his might.

The hallway was colored a dark gray, darker metal rods lining up near the black ceiling and down to the black tile that made the ship's floor. Troy looked to his right, an extended hallway with a turn, and to his left, a shorter hall way that led to a silver double-door, a door matching the one guarding Mavro's room. Walking to the door, they slid open, revealing Troy to Mavro, Vrak, and Levira.

"Troy, you're awake!" Mavro remarked as he lifted the boy into his dark arms. "How did you sleep?"

"Good, daddy." Troy yawned. Mavro chuckled to himself.

"I want to introduce you to your aunt and older brother." They moved towards Levira. "This is auntie Levira."

"Le…Lo…Love-era?" Troy stuttered. Levira only smiled and ruffled Troy's hair.

"And this…" Mavro began, glaring at his eldest son. "…is your brother Vrak."

"Vr…Vo...Vok!" Troy smiled as he called Vrak's name. The prince only kept a stoic expression on his face as Mavro passed by him. When Troy looked back at his introduced family, he saw Levira waving them goodbye and Vrak shooting a nasty look. Troy began to hide behind one of the emperor's shoulder piece, making a small noise of fear. Mavro looked down at him and then at the others before heading to the gym.

**Damaras **had the X-Borgs clean the gym up after seeing the emperor upset at the mess, but only after a few bits of physical force was used to force the mechanical minions to do the task they were assigned. He heard the door open and close, then turned around to see Mavro and Troy.

"Your majesty," Damaras began, bowing to Mavro. "The X-Borgs are cleaning the gym now. The Red Ranger can begin training as soon as they've finished. I apologize for the mess."

Troy clung to Mavro in fear, his knuckles turning white. "Rwangers bad…am I bad because he called me a Rwanger?!" He asked with uncertainty, his shaking green eyes fixated on his father.

"No, Troy. You are not bad." He whispered before glaring at the leader of his forces. "Damaras misspoke, that is all."

"Y-Yes, I apologize…Troy." Damaras bowed to the boy, and Troy smiled a bit. The alien looked to see the gym clean. "Well, we must be off. X-Borgs!" The only ones left were Mavro and Troy as the emperor prepared his child to begin combat, the loud shouts and whacks echoing throughout the entire royal ship.

**A/N: Shout out to fluttershy smile for helping me out of my Writer's Block! Thank you! : )**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Lights blinded him, and his bones ached. He wanted to move, but he didn't have the energy to. His ears picked up noise, but it wasn't very coherent, and it sounded feminine.

"He's up! Gia, Jake, Noah, Orion's awake!" That kind of sounded like…Emma! As his vision came in line, he saw his friends, or the ones still around, by his side. Emma and Gia took both hands, and Jake and Noah helped him sit up.

"Orion, are you okay?" Gosei asked, and he nodded. "Thank goodness. We can't risk losing another Ranger."

"Guys," Orion blurted out. "I know what's going on with Troy, and I was right."

"Right? About what?" Jake asked, not remembering what Orion mentioned.

"Before Capiturar came out to fight, Gosei said that Troy's aura was more child-like and loose. I mentioned that maybe Troy's been turned into a child, and when that monster pinned me down, he hissed the Armada's plan for Troy. I was right, but…"

"But what?" Noah asked.

Orion sighed in sadness as he felt himself choke up. "They're making Troy the new heir to the Armada. Their emperor, whoever it is, is raising him as we speak."

The room fell silent. No one dared speak nor move.

"Wow…" Gia stated in total shock, wrapping her arm around a tear-filled Emma.

"Oh man…this isn't good." Noah sighed as he ran his hand through the curls on his head. Jake slammed his fist hard on the command center's wall, causing everyone to jump.

"I can't believe we'd lose Troy to them, and to be raised as the new heir…this Armada is perfect the way it is, and I'm going to make sure of it." Jake began storming off to the command center exit.

"Jake, what…" Orion asked in fear. Jake ran out of the cave, and Orion, despite the intensity and pain inside of him, chased after him.

"Jake!" Orion called again as he caught up to the Green Ranger. "What are you doing? Where are you going?" Jake stared into the Silver Ranger's eyes, holding up the 'Gosei Command Ship' card.

"I'm going up to the main Armada ship, and I'm gonna rescue Troy."

_Malice_

"H-Hello?" A small voice called out in the darkness. He could hear faint beeping from machinery and glowing red dots that were far away. Leather straps were restraining him to a metal bed, and it restricted his movement.

He tried again. "Hello? Daddy? Love-era?" No answer.

"Vok?!"

"I'm here, Troy. You don't need to worry anymore." Vrak emerged from the shadows with a cart in front of him. On the cart were various blades, bottles filled with many different kinds of liquids, and five syringes.

"What are you doing, Vok? What's that?" Troy asked in fear and curiosity.

"Oh, this?" Vrak lifted a syringe filled with clear liquid into the air. "This is for you."

"Rweally? Thank—AAH!" Troy screamed as the needle from the syringe entered his neck, the liquid seeping into his bloodstream. Troy whimpered as the liquid began to burn his insides.

"V-Vok…why…?" Troy muttered in pain, tears forming in his eyes.

Vrak lifted a blade with a curved end that looked to be sharpened recently. "'Daddy' has been giving you all of his attention, and it was something I never got when I was your age." He dug the blade into Troy's left cheek, and the boy whined in agony. "'Daddy' spent so much time raising my other brother that he forgot about his younger son. My childhood spat me, _your big brother_, out of its filthy mouth."

Troy wriggled about, but Vrak pulled the leather straps tighter, and they made an imprint into the boy's arms. Blood leaked from the scar in Troy's cheek as another wound was made into the opposite cheek before the blade entered and exited both of Troy's palms. He cried out loudly.

"I wanted to gain some information on you after the plan successfully worked." Vrak hissed in Troy's ear as the second syringe, filled with a slime green fluid, entered the boy's heart, parts of his red shirt ripped. The pain overtook Troy as he nearly popped his vocal cords screaming.

"And do you want to know something?" Vrak leaned into Troy's ear, and changed his voice to a whisper.

"It was supposed to _kill you_, and I'll succeed in doing what it failed to do." That was Troy's final straw as he screamed, kicked, and cried for Mavro. Vrak covered his mouth and slashed two small marks into the boy's forehead. He then traveled to the boy's feet, which were dirty from him walking around barefoot. Vrak drove the blade into the center of his feet, from the bottom of the foot to the top. Vrak blindly wounded Troy's small legs through the fabric of his pants.

Troy's vision began to blur and he felt lethargic as a loud bang sounded in the room.

"Father!" He could hear Vrak shout in surprise. "Is there something you wish of me?"

"What were you thinking, you arrogant fool!" Mavro screamed as his shoulder pieces blasted Vrak into the wall. "How dare you, hurting Troy like that!"

"I was only trying to do what the changing machine was supposed to; kill him." Vrak brandished his sword. "And I'll have to do the same to you."

Mavro pulled his own sword out. "Not if I do the gesture first." The two charged at one another, and Troy could see orange sparks as his world went black.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

So many things ran through his head, and he grew a migraine instantly. Voices then entered his ears, but they didn't sound like Daddy's or Vok's. They sounded like…his, and they mentioned his name a few times to boot.

"T-Troy-y? T-Troy? Troy?" The boy opened his tired eyes to see an older boy with black curly hair look at him. Another boy in a silver jacket stood next to them.

"Jake, stop asking. I'm sure he can hear you." The other boy stated.

"Orion," The curly boy, Jake, answered back. "Do you hear the others complaining?" Troy then looked to see a girl with brown hair, a girl with blonde hair, and a boy with glasses rubbing their heads and moaning. "Point taken."

"Where am I?"

The older kids crowded around him, and Troy began to sweat with ten eyes all staring. He tried to move, but large black straps held him down and little sensors were scattered around his body. Troy's wounds were cleaned, and to help his chance of survival, they placed a ventilator over the boy's mouth, the words escaping from the small holes in the plastic.

"Troy! You're okay!" The brunette cheered, clapping her hands.

"Who…are you? How do you know my name?" He asked her, which made the girl stop.

"Troy…don't you remember me?" The blonde then came up next to him. "I'm Gia!"

"G…Gia?" She nodded.

"My name's Noah." The boy in glasses waved to Troy.

"No…N…Noah?"

The brunette was next. "I'm Emma. Nice to meet you!"

"Em…Emma?"

The curly hair boy came up. "I'm Jake."

"J-Jake!" It seemed Troy already knew his name.

The boy in silver was the last one up, and he took hold of Troy's hand. "And my name is…" He sniffed tears back. "…Orion."

Troy gave him a puzzled look. "O…Or…Owrion?" The silver boy nodded before Noah led him away for some alone time. Troy looked around and saw he was in some sort of cave, but he caught notice of mini Power Rangers on the wall, and it terrified him.

"_Rwangers bad! Rwangers bad!_" Troy screamed, kicking around the bed he was strapped to.

"Troy, what's wrong?!" Emma asked frantically. "What's bad about the Power Rangers?"

"Daddy said you're gonna hurt him! You're gonna hurt him and take me away!" The boy cried. Everyone backed away a bit and exchanged worried looks.

"…_Daddy._ Troy called that emperor his daddy." Noah restated, his eyes widened.

Gia shook her head and sighed. "We're too late, aren't we? I knew it…" Emma ran over and hugged her tightly, crying a river.

Jake sat on the ground. "We go to rescue Troy, and he's been turned into some…monster." Troy stopped his shaking and looked at Jake in fear. Was he really a monster because of his daddy?

"M-Monster?!" Troy asked, to which Orion moved to the bed and undid the straps, pulling Troy into his arms. "Am I a monster, Owrion?"

"No, Troy. Jake misspoke." Orion reassured him, glaring at the Green Ranger hard. "Why don't we talk outside? Is that okay?"

Troy nodded, and the two left.

_Malice_

"Where is he?!" Mavro cried out, shoving and flipping items around. "Where?!"

"Sire, I-I don't know." Levira stuttered as she walked with him. "He seemed to have disappeared when you and Vrak were dueling."

"I know that!" Mavro used the blasters from his shoulder pads to blast Levira to the ground. "And that filthy rodent is doing his time. I want to find Troy, and if he's not on the ship, everyone is receiving punishment by death."

That was when Damaras came into the hall. "Sire, I don't think the death penalty is necessary. I found that Troy is on Earth. The Rangers got to him as you were dueling."

"NO!" Mavro marched angrily back into the command room, sitting in his throne. "Set a course for Earth. I want those Rangers exterminated for taking my sweet child away!" As X-Borgs entered coordinates in, Damaras left the room and walked towards the prison, where he stood in front of Vrak.

"You should feel lucky your father spared you." The commander began. "If I knew any better, you'd be dead with one power blast."

Vrak chuckled. "You think I'm done with my plan? It's working perfectly!"

"W-What?"

"While the child idea was completely my father's, I knew the Red Ranger deserved to remain who he is. I placed a chip onto the very top of his head, and it collected a data stream for me to use. I created a stone that the Red Ranger should hold to revert back to his old self should my father attack him. Then, I warded Mavro off just as the Green and Silver Rangers hauled the Red Ranger onto their little ship and fly off."

"You…helped the Rangers?" Damaras asked in shock.

"Think of it as a pity gift. They're weak without the Red Ranger, and it would be a pathetic fight, so I decided to let them keep their leader."

"How are you exactly going to get your special stone to the Rangers?"

"Simple." Vrak attacked the metal bars with full force, breaking them apart. He coolly stepped out of his prison and held Damaras up against the nearby wall.

"Now…are you going to help me or are you going to be a useless pawn to my father?" He hissed in disgust.

"I-I'll help you." Damaras answered. "But I will get something in return. Do we have a deal?"

Looking at his extended hand, Vrak sighed and shook it. He hoped Damaras would be able to follow through, and that tin can head would pay if he became a traitor. Seeing the commander rush to the throne room after hearing Mavro's call, Vrak walked into his destroyed laboratory.

The stone was perfectly intact, and he took the smooth rock into his hand, walking into his personal private ship.

"Don't worry, Rangers, your leader will be successfully saved." Vrak muttered as the ship flew off.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"I just can't believe this." Emma sighed, shaking her head. "It's only been a few days, and Troy has already called the Armada's leader 'Daddy'."

"It's disgusting." Gia spat. "To think that they need one of us to take their mantle. Don't they hate us?"

"Yes." Noah confirmed. "But they knew we'd be weaker if one of us turned. I guess they went for Troy because it was logical to. All Red Rangers were wanted to make us weak for the villains. The Red Samurai Rangers…"

"The Red Mystic Force Ranger." Gia added.

"The Red Wild Force Ranger." Emma followed.

"Even the Mighty Morphin' Red Ranger!" Jake concluded. "They all were targeted for their ability to keep a team together!"

"Exactly, and don't you think Troy would follow that trend?" Everyone nodded.

Jake only turned away to look at the Ranger keys. "Especially since he's there to save our butts." He muttered.

"What?" Emma asked, thinking she heard him.

"Because we're terrible!" Jake cried at last. Everyone jumped back in shock, but Gia stood her ground.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked.

"Think of how many times Troy has come to save us! Emma, when you two were suffering from Dizchord, who came up with the plan?"

"Troy." She responded, softly rubbing her ear.

"Noah, when you were hurt while fighting Creepox, who defended you and defeated him for it?"

"Troy." He answered, looking down.

"Gia, who was the _only_ one who managed to convince you that Beezara put a hate-spell on you and Emma while we were her prisoners?"

"Troy." She replied before she was taken aback. "We stayed a team…we were saved by Troy. We fight because of Troy, and we're weak and useless without him."

"Yes, exactly!" Jake fumed. "And now that these monsters have brainwashed him, we can't do anything about it!"

"Yes, you can."

The four turned towards the cave entrance to see…Vrak, in his blue uniform that everyone there, bar Emma, fought while versus Dizchord.

"You're still…alive?" Noah stumbled, stepping back with the others.

"I never left." The alien replied, and Gia caught something in his hand.

"What do you have there?" She asked with a bit of fear.

"Blue Ranger, catch!" Vrak tossed the stone towards Noah, and it fumbled in his hands before he made a solid catch. Upon further examination, they could see it was a smooth gray stone with a gem at its center. The gem resembled an amethyst.

"This stone can revert your precious Red Ranger back to normal. All you need to do have him hold it and have my father attack him."

"Why would _your father_ do that?" Emma asked in haste.

"Call it blind rage. He'll attack on accident, but in return, you'll get your leader back safe and sound." Vrak held out his hand. "Do we have a deal?"

The four Rangers looked at each other skeptically; if they sided with Vrak, then they could get Troy back. If they didn't, then hope for Troy and the Earth is lost completely. One question still remained:

_Is it a trap?_

"…Is this some kind of trap?" Gia asked, breaking the musky tension.

"I assure you, Rangers, you'll get your leader back. This isn't some kind of trick, this isn't some kind of betrayal to my word."

They still were huddled together in suspicion.

"I'm waiting." Then a group huddle broke out.

"I don't think we should go through with this." Noah whispered. "Vrak's crafty; he'll do anything to whittle us down until we break apart."

"What about Orion?" Emma asked, seeing as everyone had ignored their friend clad in silver.

"He's not here, so what we decide is what he'll have to suck up." Jake snapped a bit, which Emma responded with a face of offense.

"I say we do it. We need Troy if we're gonna make it." The huddle broke and Gia was the one to vigorously shake Vrak's agreement.

"We'll go through with it, but if you pull _any_ funny business, we're ready to blast you head off. Got it?" She snapped in anger.

"Understood, Yellow." The alien then rushed out of the Command Center, to which Gia and Jake rushed after him. He was about to set foot into his ship when he saw them.

"Where're you going?!" Jake shouted. "You're supposed to help us!"

"I did; I gave you the stone. I'm sure you can handle this, unless you need Daddy Red to make everything all better. Oh, that's right…" Vrak joked, smirking.

"How is your father going to know Troy's here?" Vrak simply pointed to the city, to which he responded with: "I'm sure he's down there with militias of X-Borgs." The ship then flew away.

The two walked back into the Command Center. "So what happened?" Noah asked.

"He just took off and left us to do the work, like usual." Jake answered.

"Rangers! Rangers! There's X-Borgs in the city!" Tensou cried. "I've tried contacting Orion, but he hasn't responded!"

"And Orion has Troy with him." Emma restated.

"This is it, Rangers. You must use the stone to save Troy, or the Earth has no hope." Gosei stated bluntly.

"Right." Gia returned before facing the other three. Pulling out their morphers, they transformed into the Super Mega Rangers.

Noah placed the stone into Gia's hand. "You're second-in-command. You deserve to give the stone."

"No, Orion does." She kept a tight grip. "He's probably bonding with Troy now, and our brainwashed leader will probably trust him more than any of us."

"Yeah." Emma agreed, walking to Gia's side. "And if we know the Armada, they probably gave Troy some kind of weapon of power to defend himself. But…why would Troy suddenly give Orion a chance over us?"

"Um…" Jake stuttered, which everyone caught and stared at him for. "Well, Orion has a 'thing' for Troy. I joked about it while talking to him, but it was _way_ obvious that he was crushing on Troy."

"Come on guys." Gia then marched swiftly to the entrance, nodding contently with what Jake said. "We have a leader to rescue."

**A/N: Two things.**

**1. Thanks for over 1,000 views! I didn't expect this fic to be so popular in the viewing department, but hey, anything can happen. Thanks for all the reviews, and while these are small, favs and follows. I appreciate it so much! : )**

**2. ****_Terribly_**** sorry I haven't tended to this story in ages. I was suffering from Writer's Block and I didn't know what to do. Now that I do, I can continue on. The bad news: This story is close to being done, actually. I originally intended this to be only 10 chapters long (I still do), and we're 3 chapters away. Sorry that it's close to ending, but all good things come to a close eventually. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Where are we going?" Troy asked as Orion continued strolling across Harwood with the child in his arms.

"We're already here, Troy. We're just walking around. Does anything look familiar to you?" Orion asked, not realizing he said the last part aloud.

"I remember…that!" The boy pointed to a beige building. Orion smiled; it was the mall. The mall where former Troy hung out with everyone. "I was bigger, and I had a bwack jacket on."

"You're positive it was you?"

"Y-Yeah, I was there laughing with you and the other big kids. You were all wearing the same clothes you're have on now."

"Really." Orion deadpanned. "What else can you remember?"

"I remember the cave. All…" Troy counted on his fingers. "…six of us met there with that big tiki head and the…thing."

"You mean a robot?" Orion asked.

"Yeah, I guess so." Troy looked out at the smooth sidewalks in front of them. He smiled as faint memories came back to him. Looking up at Orion, he smiled wide.

"Owrion." Troy began looking down at his tiny hands in sadness. "Are you a Rwanger like those big kids in the cave?"

"Yes I am, Troy, but the Rangers aren't bad people."

"But Daddy said—mmm!" Troy felt his lips closed together by Orion's fingers.

"Your 'Daddy' was lying to you. The Rangers help people and protect them. Your Daddy is a bad man, Troy. He wants to hurt kind people and he wants to hurt us, your friends."

"Fwriends?" Troy cocked his head at an angle in confusion.

"Yes, we're your friends. Gia, Emma, Jake, Noah, and me; your best friends in the world. We're nothing without you, Troy." Orion stated as he got lost in the boy's big green eyes.

"Really?" Troy asked with excessive curiosity.

"Don't push it." They both giggled as Orion continued down the sidewalk. Troy looked down again, but his face was one of conflict.

"Is my Daddy a bad man? Is that true?"

"Yeah, Troy. He's hurt so many people, and he might hurt you too if you make him mad."

"He's mad now because I'm gone. He was nice when I was on the ship." Orion jerked a bit. _The Armada mothership. Troy was kept there._

"He was acting. He wanted to turn you into a monster."

"So Jake was right?"

"…I guess so." Orion sighed.

"Of course I'm right, dude!" The Silver Ranger turned around to see Gia, Noah, Emma, and Jake morphed in Super Mega Mode.

"Guys! Boy, am I glad to see you!" Orion cheered as he stepped closer to them. Troy grasped his shirt in caution. Orion ignored the gesture and looked at Gia. "You took charge?"

"Of course." She curtseyed a bit. "I'm Troy's second-in-command, why wouldn't I?"

"I'm sure the real Troy would be very proud of you, Gia. He'd also be proud of all five of us as a team, taking the stand in his absence."

Noah nodded. "We may be weak without Troy…"

"But with hope, we can triumph as one, even without our leader." Emma finished. "…but that doesn't mean we don't want Troy back with us."

Everyone quickly agreed.

Gia then revealed the stone to Orion. "We got a visit from an old foe. He gave it to us so that we can fix Troy."

"Wow." Orion marveled. "Reminds me of the ore rocks back home. Well, when we first find them anyway."

"Neat!" Emma cheered, which gave off looks. "What?"

"Anyway, we need you to hold onto it." The Yellow Ranger pulled out one of Orion's arms and slapped it into the hand. "Vrak said…"

"Vok!" Troy clapped. "My big brother went to find me?"

Jake walked over and gently ruffled Troy's hair, hiding the feeling of disgust when Troy called Vrak his 'big brother'. "Kinda the opposite. He gave it to us and said that you need to hold onto it. Don't lose it, too."

Orion gave the stone to Troy, who looked it over in curiosity. "You heard Jake; don't lose the stone. It's one last gift from big brother Vrak, and it would be awful if it went missing, wouldn't it?"

Troy nodded hastily. "Yep! I won't lose it Owrion, I pwomise!"

"Awesome!" Without thinking, Orion leaned over and kissed Troy's cheek. _It was a kiss of_ _happiness, not of love._ He thought after the kiss. Looking at everyone, he could see they all were giggling. _Oh man, they know._

"Well, I hate to break up the romance, but we have butt to kick!" Gia reminded them, pointing to an approaching army of X-Borgs. She then pointed at Orion. "And we'll need your help."

"M-My help?" Orion stuttered. "Are you sure?"

"Definitely!" Noah confirmed. "Just hide Troy in a place where it's safe and where his 'Daddy' can't easily find him."

"Right!" Orion picked the solid silver bench right near them, sliding Troy under. The boy laid on his stomach.

"After you fight, will you come back and get me?" The boy asked.

"Of course, Troy. I would never abandon my friends. Just stay here under the bench, okay?"

"Okay!"

"And don't lose or break the stone, okay?"

"Okay too!"

"Good." Orion ruffled Troy's hair before he left him there.

"_Super Mega Mode!_" Orion chanted as he turned into the Silver Ranger. This earned an 'Ooh' from Troy.

"Now, let's kick some tin cans!" Jake shouted, to which everyone charged at them. Pulling out their sabers, Jake traded with Noah while the girls traded their blasters. Orion brandished his Super Silver Spear and slashed down a cluster of X-Borgs. Two more platoons came at them.

"They just don't know when to stop!" Emma exclaimed as she returned Gia's blaster. The boys traded back their sabers as well. The five Rangers then ran head-first at the X-Borg clusters.

"Wow…they're so cool!" Troy whispered in excitement. He looked down at the stone. "Owrion was right about Daddy. Rwangers good!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" A deep voice growled as Troy felt himself being pulled away.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"These guys are like flies!" Jake grunted as he slashed an X-Borg down. "They won't take a hint!"

"I think I'll need a newspaper." Noah added as he blasted a few down. "Or an electric swatter."

"These are evil aliens, not bugs." Gia pointed out. "But I agree with Jake; they are like flies!"

"While I care about those little guys, there are ones that deserve a good swatting!" Emma added as the four finished off one cluster of the foot soldiers. Orion was still dealing with the other cluster, so they joined to finish the job.

"Hey, do you think that Troy is still behind the bench?" Jake asked to his teammates.

"Probably not. His small brain will be so focused on us winning this fight that he'll want a better view." Noah answered as the second cluster fell in front of them. They were relieved to not hear any kind of child-like clapping from close behind, but the silence started to eat off of them.

"Hey Orion, why don't you get Troy?" Gia recommended, and when Orion looked underneath the bench, he was in a pickle with the others for sure.

"He's gone!" The Silver Ranger cried to his friends, which made them rush over and look for themselves

"No way! Where could he have gone?!" Jake asked in angry shock.

"It's simple, Rangers. He's with me." Everyone turned around to see average-height, dark-skinned alien. He looked like he was an important on at that. Two orange orbs were the highlight of his outfit, and in one arm, Troy was pressed against his torso, and by the boy's expression, it wasn't a light pressure in the slightest.

"You! You're behind this, aren't you?!" Jake questioned in anger.

"Why, yes, Green Ranger, turning your sacred leader into my heir was my idea." Mavro answered in sarcasm.

Jake growled as he set himself in a position for hand combat. Mavro only chuckled and held Troy with both hands. He showed the boy to them like he was flaunting off a new jar of coins.

"Do you really want to hurt your friend, Green Ranger? If you do plan on attacking, I'll have no problem using Troy as a shield against all of your attacks."

"Jake! Don't do this!" Emma shouted as Jake was getting himself more prepared.

"Jake!" Noah and Orion shouted in unison.

"Stop!" Gia held onto his arm. He acknowledged it but then shrugged her off.

"Jake, please!" Troy cried, and Mavro, hearing his cry for no battle, began to push the boy's side towards one another. He cried out in vulgar pain, the scream echoing through the Rangers' ears.

_This stone can revert your precious Red Ranger back to normal. All you need to do have him hold it and have my father attack him. _Jake heard Vrak's instructions in his mind as he ran towards Mavro. Seeing that Troy would only protect his upper body, Jake went for a low sweep, knocking Mavro onto his back and sending Troy to the ground nearby, free from Mavro's clutches.

"Go to Orion, Troy! I'll handle this!" Jake ordered, and Troy jumped into Orion's arms when he got there.

"No!" Mavro shouted, and slashing Jake down, he charged at the loner Orion. He felt blasts enter his skin as the Yellow, Blue, and Pink Rangers forced him away. "Gah!"

"You're not laying a hand on Troy!" Emma shouted.

"That's right!" Jake added through stumbles as he ran back to his team. "You guys thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Definitely!" The four pulled out Ranger keys.

"**_Legendary Ranger Mode: Alien!_**"

While Jake, Noah, and Emma had their respective counterpart spandex, Alien Yellow now had a skirt to fit for Gia. Orion marveled at how they managed to transform into the four without Troy in the red.

"Orion, hide Troy in a _better place_ and join us against this creep!" Gia commanded, and Orion hid Troy in a bush not too far from the battlefield.

"Okay, Troy, stay here and stay hidden."

"Okay, Owrion. Good luck!" Troy responded, smiling. Orion nodded back and ran over to his team. He then saw a red glow emanate from his belt, and the Alien Red key appeared.

"**_Legendary Ranger Mode: Alien!_**"

Orion them became the Red Ranger to complete the team. "Whoa, I didn't know that was possible!"

"Wow…" Gia cooed as she came up next to him.

"Cool!" Jake commented.

"Are you Rangers going to fight me or what?" Mavro taunted, and brandishing their blades, the Rangers charged. While Mavro deflected the girls attempt to strike his chest, Jake and Noah landed hits to his legs. The girl then landed hits on his arms and sides. Orion came from behind and drove the sword down Mavro's back. The emperor fell to his knees in pain, howling wildly for a bit before rising again and blowing them all back with power blasts from his shoulder pieces.

"No!" Troy whispered as he watched his friends fall. "Daddy, stop!" The boy felt that it was time to use the stone and free himself from Mavro, but looking around, he didn't have it on him! Peeking out from the bush, Troy saw the still-intact stone on the battlefield, a little ways away from Jake's boot.

"No!" Troy shouted as he dashed out of the bush. As the Rangers got back to their feet, they all saw Troy running towards them.

"Troy, no, stop!" Noah shouted at him as Mavro unleashed another barrage of power blasts at them. As they demorphed when they hit the ground, a few blasts struck Troy in his side, and he landed next to the stone hard. Taking in into his shaky, bloody, and dirty hands, Troy got back to his feet. Orion ran over and scooped him up while Gia, Emma, Noah, and Jake all ran in for attack.

"You Rangers are pathetic to fight." Mavro stated as he flung Emma into Gia. "Just let me have Troy back and we'll leave peaceably."

"No way is that happening!" Jake roared as he was thrown roughly into Noah. With the four on the ground, Orion set Troy down and ran in to defend them.

One thing he didn't know was that Troy had joined in, and just as Orion slammed into the ground, he saw Mavro swing his blade down at the defenseless Troy before he fearfully closed his eyes.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

The last thing Orion saw before he closed his eyes in suspense was Mavro's blade coming down at Troy. When he opened his eyes, he saw that Troy held the stone above his head, and a clean swipe was made down the middle of both the stone and the boy. A violet-colored line was seen after the blade stopped cutting Troy and the stone in half.

"No!" Mavro shouted in defeat. Everyone smiled wide and got to their feet as sparks shot out of Troy. The boy then fell to the ground, exploding upon impact.

"TROY!" The Rangers and Mavro shouted as they watched the flames rise from a tiny, charred body. Mavro ran over and cradled it in his arms.

"No, no, no!" The emperor whispered in fear as he tapped on its cheek. "Troy, wake up! Wake up!" There was no response. The hands were cleared of flesh and fluttered in the wind like a wind chime with no sound. The shirt was burned away and it revealed a few broken bones on the rib cage, a shriveled-up heart, a charred stomach (along with other digestive system organs), and the open would was so wide Mavro could see the windpipe and spinal cord snapped in half. The pants had almost completely burned away, leaving a few areas covered for the greater good. The legs were in the exact same situation as the hands.

"Troy! TROY!" Mavro shook the body as he choked out the child's name.

Then, the body rose into the air, turned into a red swirl of power, and darted off into the sky, heading east.

"Grr…YOU! You all ruined everything! When I return, I'll make you all pay!" Mavro cursed at them before teleporting away in retreat.

"I have a feeling we'll see that psycho here again soon, especially with that weak sendoff." Noah stated. Everyone nodded.

"Yeah, but that doesn't change that Troy's…gone." Orion sniffed as he stepped away from the group a bit. He held himself tight as the water began to drip.

"Oh, Orion, you'll be okay. You'll find someone different to crush on." Jake comforted, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"No!" He cried, shrugging the hand off. "There's no one else for me! I wanted Troy since the day we all first met. When I shook his hand, I knew he's the guy for me."

"Orion…" Emma mumbled, upset at how her friend is acting towards them.

"I love him, guys. I…this was a feeling I knew was real, a feeling that came from the bottom of my heart, and I won't just up and go find someone different now that he's dead."

"But Vrak said…" Noah muttered.

"He said what, Noah? That we'll have Troy back? Sure, while we saved him from the monster, we couldn't restore him. Vrak lied, you guys. Vrak lied."

"Orion, it'll be okay." Gia then spoke. He ignored her and walked off. "Orion!" She called as the others ran to him.

"Look, we'll all go back to the Command Center and see if Gosei and Tensou can try and bring Troy back, but we _all _have to go, okay?" Jake asked. Orion nodded and sniffed as the five headed towards the Command Center.

Upon entering the base, Jake, Noah, Emma, and Gia were comforting a grief-stricken and heartbroken Orion. That was until Emma pointed at a silhouette standing in the middle of the floor. "Look!"

While the four smiled in complete relief and joy, it took Orion awhile to comprehend who they were seeing. Turning around, the figure stood there with dark jeans, a black leather jacket over a red T-shirt, and a pair of black sneakers with white laces. The hair on its head was combed and gelled into a coif, and its tanned skin brought out the green eyes that examined at the five. Then, a smirk was placed on its face as Gia, then Noah, then Emma ran up to hug it tightly.

It was Troy, all fixed up and restored to his former glory.

Jake then let the mourning Orion lean on the wall as he ran to hug Troy as well, but only after the hugs did Orion see Troy standing and waiting for him.

"Troy!" The Silver Ranger cried in glee and he wrapped a tight arm around the Red Ranger's waist and upper torso. He cried tears of joy into Troy's shoulder, to which Troy held Orion tight, patting his back as a signal to let it out.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm okay, Orion." Troy told him to calm his friend down.

"Oh, Troy." Orion began, breaking away from the hug to hold Troy's hand. "You have no idea how much I missed you."

"I can tell. My shoulder has the evidence." He patted the shoulder Orion cried on.

"It's just…I've missed you so much, man." Orion then pulled Troy's hand close to his lips, then laying a gentle but sweet kiss onto his knuckles. Pulling away, he saw that Troy was blushing, and looking behind him, Gia, Noah, Emma, and Jake giggled like crazy.

Pulling Troy in close, Orion let his forehead rest on his crush's. "Troy, I've had the _biggest_ crush on you since the day you shook my hand to accept me onto the team. I never felt like this towards any girl, but with you, I wouldn't want anyone else."

Then, the Silver Ranger placed his lips on Troy's as he pulled the Red Ranger in for a sweet, long kiss. Troy's eyes fluttered shut as they continued, Orion's eyes already closed. The other all whispered a little 'Aww' as they saw their leader and newcomer share a kiss of love. The two then broke it up and looked at each other, smiling.

"Orion." Troy began. "How about I take you on a date to Ernie's?"

"Wait, a…_date_?" He asked, to which Troy nodded. Still holding onto each other's hand, Troy and Orion made their way out of the Command Center.

"Whoa, now that was cute." Jake commented, looking over at Gia. "Maybe…"

"In your dreams." She replied as she locked arms with Emma and left as well. Jake chased after them, and Noah followed closely behind as the sun began to set in the sky.

**A/N: Well, that's it. I'd really like to thank everyone who faved, followed, and reviewed the story. I'd also like to thank all the people who viewed it too, because I did not expect the story to be so popular ****_at all_****. If you've seen the upcoming stories on my bio, you'll know there will be more stories to come. Thanks again for the support, I'm so grateful for it! : D**


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